MY CAPPS FAMILY HISTORY

Floyd L. Owsley

6185 Oilskin Drive

Ooltewah, Tennessee 37363

(423) 910-0058

My Email Address: floydowsley@comcast.net

Hello. I am a descendant of Francis Marion Capps Sr. and his wife, Sarah Ann Westmoreland, daughter of Edward D. Westmoreland and Rebecca Hackney.

This website is an attempt to share with others what I've learned about my Capps family history in my many years of research. I hope my information will be helpful to others in their search for their ancestors. If you have any questions concerning my Capps family information, please feel free to contact me.

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Francis M. Capps Sr., son of Henry Capps Sr., was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina in 1815. Francis was very young when his father died. It appears Francis stayed with relatives (probably Francis' older brothers) in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Minutes of the Court of Common Pleas and Quarter Sessions:
May 1828 - Ordered by court that the sheriff bring to our next court (August term) an orphan boy named Frank Capps to be disposed of as the law directs.
February 1829 - Ordered by court that Frank Capps an orphan be delivered to Caleb Irwin, said Irwin to bring him to our next court.
November 1830 - Ordered by court that Francis Capps be bound to David Kistler to learn the art and mystery of a house carpenter and that he comply with the law in such case provided.)

As a young man, Francis worked in the historic Capps Gold Mine in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Mine was owned by Francis' uncle Caleb Capps. In the late 1830's, Francis Capps left North Carolina and moved to Alabama where he met and married Sarah Ann Westmoreland. Francis and his wife, Sarah, lived in Jackson County, Alabama in 1840. Francis and Sarah later moved to Hamilton County, Tennessee. In the 1850 Hamilton County, Tennessee census records, Francis Capps is listed as a keeper of a toll bridge. In 1860, the Francis Capps family was listed as living in Harrison in Hamilton County, Tennessee. By 1870, Sarah had died and Francis had married Abigail Alexander. In 1870 and 1880, the Francis Capps family resided in the Smith's Crossroads (Graysville) area of Rhea County, Tennessee, which is very near the northern border of Hamilton County, Tennessee. Francis Capps' occupation was listed as a farmer in the 1860, 1870 and 1880 census records.

The Civil War greatly affected the lives of Francis and Sarah. In March of 1864, their two eldest sons, William (age 19) and James (age 15), died of disease in a Nashville, Tennessee (Union) Army Hospital. There is no doubt their deaths were devastating to the Capps family. It is known that Sarah died sometime between 1860 and 1866. One may wonder if the loss of her sons was so overwhelming to Sarah, it may have been a contributing factor in her death.

Francis Capps Sr. died in 1892. The following is written on the tombstone of Francis M. Capps Sr. in the Hughes Cemetery: "He finished his work, grew tired and went home to rest."

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MY FAMILY DATABASE

My Family Database at RootsWeb WorldConnect

(This database contains a large amount of information on my ancestors and their families.)

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LETTER WRITTEN BY FRANCIS M. CAPPS JR. - EST. 1900

"My father's brother, (Caleb) owned the gold mines in North Carolina. My father (Marion) worked in it. My Grandfather's name was Henry Capps. He had 7 sons and 2 daughters. One of the daughters was named Amelia. Sons were named Caleb, Richard, Henry Jr., Daniel, and Francis Marion (My father) One brother of fathers went to Charleston, S.C. and was a hatter. One went to Virginia and was a tinner, one to Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tenn. and was a tanner, one to Forked Deer County, West Tennessee (probably Dyer County). My father left North Carolina in 1837 and went to Alabama and marred Sarrayan Westmoreland and raised 8 children. Names were Rebecca Ann, Ellen Jane, Mary Emaline, Martha Catherine and Sarah Elizabeth. Girls all dead but Ellen and Martha. Boys were named William Foster, James Henderson and Francis Marion Jr.(myself). My two brothers died in Army in 1864. My father was born January 19th, 1815 and died September 6th, 1892. I have met no Capps's except M.B.Capps at Greenfield, Weekly (Weakley) County. My father came to Tennessee in 1841 and lived and died in Hamilton County. I was born 1854. The brother Caleb returned to Ireland who owned the gold mines."

FRANCIS MARION CAPPS JR. (1854-1919) AND HIS WIFE, CYNTHIA FANN CAPPS (1856-1938)

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DIRECT DESCENDANT CHART
(Henry Capps to Floyd Owsley)

* Henry Capps Sr. born 1755/65 died ABT 1822 Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

* Francis Marion Capps Sr. born 19-JAN-1815 Mecklenburg County, North Carolina died 06-SEP-1892 Hamilton County, Tennessee

md. Sarah Ann Westmoreland m. ABT 1838 probably Jackson County, Alabama born ABT 1823 Tennessee died BET 1860-1866 Hamilton County, Tennessee

* William Foster Capps born ABT 1845 Hamilton County, Tennessee died 12-MAR-1864 Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee

md. Martha C. Alexander m. 25-DEC-1862 Hamilton County, Tennessee born 01-OCT-1832 Knox or Roane County, Tennessee died 15-MAY-1898 Harrison, Hamilton County, Tennessee

* Sarah Elizabeth Capps born 28-MAR-1864 Hamilton County, Tennessee died 26-OCT-1922 Harrison, Hamilton County, Tennessee

md. George Oliver McDaniel m. 18-AUG-1881 Tennessee born 04-MAR-1862 Hamilton County, Tennessee died 26-JUL-1941 Harrison, Hamilton County, Tennessee

* Eva Ealine McDaniel born 20-OCT-1904 Harrison, Hamilton County, Tennessee died 05-MAY-1970 East Ridge, Hamilton County, Tennessee

md. Chester S. (Buck) Hogan m. 25-JUN-1921 Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee born 07-OCT-1900 Hamilton County, Tennessee died 19-FEB-1955 Ooltewah, Hamilton County, Tennessee

* Frankie Marie Hogan born 31-JUL-1932 Harrison, Hamilton County, Tennessee died 07-DEC-2004 Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee

md. Eugene Berry Owsley m. 01-AUG-1950 Rossville, Walker County, Georgia born 03-AUG-1928 Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee died 16-JUL-1994 Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee

* Floyd Leroy Owsley born 16-NOV-1953 Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee
md. Karen Bowman m. 20-JUN-1981 Harrison, Hamilton County, Tennessee born 25-OCT-1959 Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee

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FRANCIS M. CAPPS SR.

(1/19/1815 - 9/6/1892)

Monument

Hughes Cemetery, Bakewell, Hamilton County, Tennessee